Recently, our community learned through a social media post of a data center to be located outside the city limits of Marshfield on Rifle Range Road. Since that time, a significant number of people from inside the community and out have expressed concern about the potential environmental and other impacts that might arise from a large hyper-scale data center.
Initially, the Webster County Commission was unaware of the development. Since that time, the Commission has reached out to the developer – who has been very open and forthright in sharing information about the project.
The information provided describes the project as a “small-scale high-performance computing facility”. It will be situated on a five-acre site. The building dimensions are roughly 70×200.
It will be cooled by a closed-loop system, with water usage estimated at a few hundred gallons a month. Water will be supplied by a standard residential-style well, with an approximate depth of 500ft and capacity of 20 gallons per minute. There will be no chemical discharge, and no hazardous materials released. Likewise, there will be no air pollution or emissions. The project described will have a lesser environmental impact that many standard commercial facilities or residential subdivisions.
One additional concern is noise. The developer has given assurances that the noise will be comparable to standard commercial HVAC equipment. There will be additional measures to mitigate the potential of off-site noise through the construction of an earthen berm around the facility and strategic equipment placement and buffering.
In short, this particular development does not appear to be one of the massive, resource-consuming hyperscale data centers that have been built elsewhere in the country.
The developer has not asked for any tax abatement or economic development incentives.
The County Commission is appreciative of the concerns brought forward, and will continue to share factual information as best it can.
